


Where's the perky psycho?

by Lexasyellowpellow



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Dorks in Love, Drabble, F/F, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-23
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-08 14:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5500316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lexasyellowpellow/pseuds/Lexasyellowpellow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shaw is worried about Root. For the mission of course.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where's the perky psycho?

“Hey Eeyore” 

Root glanced up and feigned a smile when her eyes met the assassin’s. Her smile quickly faded and her eyes were missing that perky glint that always seemed to follow Shaw everywhere. 

Shaw sighed and cleared her throat, “Um. I’m not so good at these things, but even I can tell somethings not right with you.” She paced forward and sat down gently next to the hacker. 

The lackluster smile returned, but Shaw could see it took great effort to plaster onto an otherwise emotionless canvas. Normally Root wore her emotions in her eyes, screaming them to the world without a care, but this Root was guarded, something that set a shiver down Shaw’s spine and caused the hairs on her neck to rise. If Root was this upset about something, it had to be the Machine. And if it was the Machine, they were all screwed.

“Um. Earth to perky psycho.” Shaw began again, to which she finally received a full eye lock, beautiful swirls of honey drinking her in. Shaw’s tongue involuntarily swiped across her bottom lip and she glanced down unable to maintain the contact. 

“Worried about me, Sameen? I didn’t realize you cared.” Her words were biting but her tone was saccharine and light. 

Shaw frowned, “It’s the Machine isn’t it? That’s what has you so…” she trailed off not sure she could find the right word to match Root’s current state. “Well you just, you look like a damn zombie.” 

Root chuckled and tossed her wavy locks, “Oh Sameen, I’m not dead yet. She makes sure of that…” she trailed off, her gaze far away, contemplative. 

Shaw’s brow furrowed, her hand reaching out instinctively to rest atop Root’s on the bench. The hacker felt her pulse trip and her eyes followed their now linked hands up to Shaw’s searching eyes. “Sam…I-“

“I’m worried about you, okay. Is that what you wanted to hear?” The words tumbled from Shaw’s lips before she could stop them, causing heat to rise to her face. _What the hell was that?_

A genuine smirk formed on Root’s face with the small victory and she laced her fingers with Shaw’s without a second thought. She sighed, “We aren’t winning this war, Sam.” 

Shaw considered pushing Root’s hand aside but did not want to risk the hacker closing herself off again. “Root, hey. We’re all doing everything we can. Things are getting better right? We have the shadow map now. The Machine is still looking out for you. For us.” 

Root shook her head softly. “I admire your optimism Sameen. But the outcome looks very grim…I’ve seen the algorithms. She doesn’t believe we can all survive this fight. War demands sacrifice.”

Shaw’s grip became firm against Root’s hand and she tugged it into her lap, forcing the hacker to focus her eyes on the reformed sociopath’s. “Even if She can’t do the protecting anymore…” Shaw faltered and stumbled a bit on her words the reality of them slowing her, “I will protect you.”

Root’s smile dissipated. “That’s what I’m afraid of”. The hacker blinked a few times, suppressing some deep emotion inside threatening to get loose. Shaw couldn’t quite place it. Fear? Sadness? Anger? Was she going to cry? Oh god, she hoped she wouldn’t cry. Shaw was never sure how to deal with crying. This is why she hated feelings, here she was trying to say something kind and Root reacts by being…sad? 

The hacker squeezed Shaw’s hand, noticing the confusion displayed on her countenance. “I’m not sad because of what you said Sameen. And I’m not scared for myself either.” She paused considering whether or not to speak the words aloud. Really she hadn’t planned to say them. She had hoped she would go down fighting in the  AI war, defending her God and that after she had fallen, old reliable Harry would give her last message to Shaw. 

“I…can’t…” her voice was so small, smaller than Shaw had ever heard it, the words broken and seeming to hold a great importance. “I can’t lose you.” The admission hung in the air between them, neither woman moved for a moment. 

Shaw’s brain felt like several wires had tripped all at once. How was she supposed to respond to this? Her? That’s what had the life knocked out of this looney tune? “It’s my fault.” It wasn’t the words she meant to say, but it’s how they came out. Shaw cursed her words immediately, knowing they were inadequate. She was met with another gentle head shake. 

“No Sweetie.”

“But you’re sad, because of me?” 

Root thought for a moment. “I am scared because, there’s a 36% chance that we survive this fight, but the percentage rises to 62% if we don’t ALL survive the fight.”

“Hey 36% isn’t zero right?” Shaw tried to lighten the mood, a valiant effort but one that seemed to do little to bring up the spirits of the small crumpled shell next to her. She gulped realizing she’s going to have to bring her own emotions into this to get through to the tiny mess on the bench. 

“Root.” She waited until Root has locked eyes with her again, “I just…well what I mean to say is….I don’t want to lose you either.” 

At this confession a small sob gasped out of the hacker’s body and Root bat back a few tears with her lashes. Shaw pulled her hand away from Root’s and quickly pulled her disheveled comrade in close to her body. Her arms wrapped protectively around Root’s frame and her fingers came to rest gently in her silky chestnut hair. The pair stayed this way in silence for some time, Root slowly stilling her sobs as her breathing took a less erratic pace, Shaw stroking Root’s hair slowly and deliberately trying to get the hacker to stop crying in the only way she thought might help. 

“C.A.N. Y.O.U. H.E.A.R. M.E.?.” The buzz in Root’s ear jolted through her like static and she grinned her old crazy psycho grin. “I can hear you.” she practically sang the words before looking up at Shaw. “Look’s like our side in this fight is back on”

Shaw rolled her eyes and shoved the hacker aside playfully. “You’re insane” she muttered, but her smile betrayed her true feelings. _I’m so relieved she’s smiling again._

Root unravelled slowly from Shaw’s protective grip and stood. “Come on Shaw. She needs us.”


End file.
